Read this book recently as part of a bookring. This was purchased for my birthday buddy, lilacwhisper. I hope you enjoy this as much as I did. =)

Shhh....its a surprise!

This wishlist book is beginning its long journey across the pond to my friend, Lilacwhisper. But the book is not traveling alone, as it has some of its friends to keep it company on its travel and they will be ready to share their stories with you.

Wow, another excellent literary choice from my Bday buddy!
I had joined this bookring a few months ago. When my turn arrived, I gave up since it was a bad moment for bookrings, and now it turns out that the book's here with me... I'm too glad to read this book before watching the movie!
You really sent me wonderful, lovely gifts, dear dvg: there's nothing I may dislike, everything's so perfect!

Thank you once again from the deepest of my heart!

It took me a bit to finish this book, but I really liked it. Actually, I must confess I'd have probably liked it even more if the second part (the one set in India) had been shorter. The first part, set in Italy, is really nice, but my favourite's definitely the last one, possibily since the author seems to finally cope with her problems.
I felt sympathetic with Elizabeth. To be honest, I felt a bit envious as well, though her voyage's not simple at all: she's alone, searching for peace and enlightenment across Italy, India and Indonesia (which I'd like to visit, sooner or later) after her divorce.
I'd like to have such friends like Richard from Texas. He's tough, not particularly well-mannered, but very loyal and sympathetic, I'd even say wise. The Balinese healer who befriends Liz is another character I particularly liked, even if I felt a bit disappointed when she tried to kid her friend.
And what about Felipe? Oh dear, is every Brazilian 50-year-old really supposed to be so healthy, glamourous and romantic? Apart from that, he gives confirmation about the universal truth that you're more likely to find love as soon as you're going to choose celibacy.
The worst point of this book is the emphasis on Yoga. Now I can say that I know a little bit more about this discipline and life in Ashrams, but in my opinion too many pages carry full-detailed meditations about Hindu culture and Sanscrit language.
I'm looking forward to reading the second book and watching the movie.

Many thanks for this book, which I'm going to release soon!

This book will be sent to another Italian BCer as a RABCK.

At first, thanks to lilacwhisper for the book! :-)

Stereotypes about Italy aside, the chapters set in Italy are my favorite.
All the time spent in India was very difficult to overcome and I'm not ashamed to say that I often missed the parties so as to finish quickly.
The focus is a bit awakened in Bali, but remaining quite low.
Plus I confess I didn't felt sympathy for the protagonist who travels around the world, but instead of enjoying the sabbatical year continues to cry for his past.

In short, the idea of this journey and personal growth is very nice, but the book itself could have been much better! (At least for me)

This book will be sent to another Italian BCer.

The book is here :)

I have mixed feelings about this book. From one point of view is not that bad: the part about Italy is nice and not too stereotyped. The part about India maybe the most poor in term of travel, but somehow intense. The part of Bali "colored". But still there are things that made the reading slowly. First of all, I tend to get bored about people who keep on crying over spilled milk, Elizabeth is not a teenager anymore, decided *herself* to end her marriage, and had -like many of us- a love story which did not end well. But then she decided to leave, to let this all to her past and try a new way of life. Months have passed since she last met David, so why does she keeps on crying about it? Really, it looks a bit odd to me!
Then, India. Well, it must not be easy to enter the real meditation mood, so you can understand that trying to narrate it can be a bit boring, sometimes...
Bali. The starting was good, but in the end all this part was a bit too long. Too many descriptions sometimes, and the part about the research of the house for Wayan tend to be boring.
Anyway, Elizabeth Gilbert writes quite well on my opinion, so I could even decide to read the sequel to this book. Maybe is also because I think Felipe is a very nice person, and I'd like to know him better ;)

I libri vogliono essere liberi! Fai un giro sul sito:



Lo spedisco a LindyLouMac, poichè ha il desiderio di leggerlo. Buona lettura!

Thankyou so much for sending this on to me, as I really want to read before I consider if I want to see the film.
I promise after I have read this that it will continue travelling in the spirit of Bookcrossing.

I have been avoiding this book for a long time simply because I so often find that books that have been hyped up are a big disappointment. However hearing that it has recently been released as a film made me decide that I really should read it if I was going to want to see the film. It is my policy to always try and read a book first, so I have my own visual pictures when I am reading and not those of the film. Well having now read ‘Eat, Pray Love’ I am not sure I will even bother with the film, as the book has neither inspired nor excited me as it seems to have done many people. On the other hand I did not hate it as other reviewers seem to have done, especially those that have been in similar life situations, struggling with heartbreak and divorce, but not able to run away from it all, which let’s face it is exactly what Elizabeth Gilbert was able to do by travelling to Italy, India and Indonesia.

I am left now feeling rather indifferent unable to either rave or rant, recommend or not, so will have to come down to saying it was OK as there was enough of interest, just about to keep me reading. It started well as I liked the introduction that Elizabeth Gilbert gives the reader as to how she divided the book up. As the book was about her efforts to find balance in her life she decided to structure it like a japa mala, a string of beads used to count mantras (Sanskrit prayers) in sets of 108 repetitions. The number 108 is considered in Eastern philosophy circles to be an auspicious number as it is a three digit multiple of three, its digits add up to nine, also a multiple of three. The number three also represents balance according to the Holy Trinity, so dividing the book into three was easy for the three countries Italy, India and Indonesia. Then dividing the book into 108 different chapters, with 36 in each section was also auspicious to the authoress as she wrote the book during her thirty sixth year.

All sounded very clever and a good way to write up her experiences, it certainly worked for the section set in Italy as Elizabeth leaves her unhappiness behind her in the USA and sets off to find this so called balance she is seeking by first seeking pleasure in Rome, mainly in the food, EAT. This first section was in retrospect for me the best section as one felt she was moving forward with lots of adventures ahead of her, although living in Italy myself it also struck me that it did tend towards being somewhat stereotypical. After four months in Italy Elizabeth moves on to an Ashram in India to find her spirituality, PRAY. I honestly found this section a bit of a chore to read, I think this was where maybe the 36 chapters were too many, there is only so much one can write about yoga, meditation and chanting after all, as interesting as those thoughts initially were. I was also disappointed to learn very little about India outside the Ashram as she became so intensely involved in finding herself that planned travelling never materialised. The final third of the year was spent in Indonesia, Bali in fact which was more interesting, although again maybe a little spun out to fulfil her chapters quota. It is here she finds LOVE despite not having set out to do so, having decided previously that she was going to be celibate for a year. In terms of learning some new facts this was also the best section as I felt I learnt a little about Balinese society.

Elizabeth does tend to come over at times as just another egocentric young woman with a rather dramatic view on the emotional upheaval of her life, of which the only solution was to travel east for spiritual enlightenment. I said it is an ok read and yes it is but I am somewhat cynical about her journey and resulting book, since discovering that Elizabeth Gilbert was apparently commissioned and paid in advance to write this book. Lucky lady but did it mean she was thinking of the end result and possible future film rights rather than writing from her heart?

More information and a video trailer can be found on LindyLouMac's Book Reviews

I am hoping to release this on forthcoming travels.

Given to a good friend and occasional Bookcrosser to continue its travels.
Dear Finder of this book,

I'm so glad it has found a home with you. I hope you enjoy reading it and that you might take a few moments to jot down here what you thought about the book, or about finding it, or about bookcrossing.

You don't have to join or sign up or anything to bookcrossing to leave a comment here but if you do join, you will receive emails to alert you when others make a journal entry for this book and track its travels across the world. If you decide to join bookcrossing, now that you have discovered the site, I'd be delighted if you would mention me - LindyLouMac - as the person who introduced you to the site.

Happy reading

LindyLouMac

Recieved from my good friend who lives in Italy. I agree with her review of the book. I found the midle section 'pray' particularly heavy going.

I have released this book in the reception area of La Siesta Hotel, Tenerife. on the 3rd of March 2011